Mikwan Abandonment – A Mining Project

Title: Mikwan Abandonment – A Mining Project
Date: November 17th, 2016
Time: 10:45 – 12:45
Place: Bankers Hall West – 20th floor
2000, 888 3rd ST. S.W.
Calgary, AB, T2P 5C5

Presenter: Shawn Forster – Husky Energy

Abstract:
Directional well 100/04-24-037-22W4 was drilled in the Red Deer River valley in 1997 as a Glaucontic gas well. The well produced 1.4bcf by plunger lift with an estimated reserve of 0.6bcf. The surface location of the well is located in the active slump zone of the river valley. In 2010 and 2012 production challenges arose with the plunger becoming stuck and demonstrating signs of abnormal wear. Field notes suggested kinked tubing was suspected.

In October 2014 tubing was pulled and found to be sheared off. Loss of well integrity was determined, with Glaucontic gas freely flowing to surface with no way to control the well. A geotechnical program was conducted to assess the environmental risk as well as facilitate an intervention strategy. Peer review and management supported a mining operation as the greatest chance of successful intervention.

The talk will address early indications of potential well failure, promoting additional risk screening during well location selection, activities implemented to mitigate the loss of well control, and of course everyone wants to see what the mining operation looked like.